Review roundup, May 27, 2015

May 27, 2015

Kind of weird: it’s almost June and still no baseball book reviews in The New York Times? I know space is precious on those pages, but still. There are any number of worthy candidates. Get on it, Times.

In the meantime:

From the Rockford, Ill., Rock River Times, this piece on Steven K. Wagner’s Perfect: The Rise and Fall of John Paciorek, Baseball’s Greatest One-Game Wonder. Confusing upshot: “Wagner may not have produced the greatest baseball book of all-time (that honor still belongs to Mike Sowell’s brilliant The Pitch that Killed) but he has certainly given us one that, taken on its own merits, is one of the finest examples of literature in the sport.” So Wagner’s is not the greatest baseball book while at the same time it is “is one of the finest examples of literature in the sport”? Is that supposed to be a left-handed compliment?

Also from the TBT, this review of Tommy Lasorda: My Way, by Colin Gunderson. Upshot: “There is no denying that Lasorda remains one of baseball’s great ambassadors. Gunderson provides a rare insight into why that is so.”

Free 501 checklist available (Excel/spreadhseet format). Makes it fun to check off which books you've read and handy to bring to the bookstore or library to get what you still want to read. Send your request via email to ronkaplansbaseballbookshelf (@)gmail(dot)com.

The envelope, please…

Ron by Roth

In my most recent "day job," I was the sports and features editor for a weekly New Jersey newspaper, where I hosted another blog. Busy, busy, busy.

I did a profile piece on the award-winning cartoonist Arnold Roth and he was nice enough to "immortalize" me.

Search the Bookshelf

Bookshelf in the media

Recently reviewed on The Bookshelf

RK’s reading lists:

Most recent books read:

My Cubs: A Love Story, by Scott Simon
Grade: B+. I always get a kick when someone outside of the game who is serious fan, and not just someone looking to glom on to the extra celebrity status of running with a winner, publishes a heartfelt book like this.